Hide and Seek
by seaandstars
Summary: To take an eight year old girl from her home and family and lock her up for experiments is cruel. To take Mollie Nash is suicide.
1. Happy Birthday

**AN: Just a new one I'm starting. Not sure about it, so tell me what you think (:**

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Mollie had been thrown carelessly into the cupboard when the banging on the door had started. She had managed to crawl to the back, hiding behind a pile of discarded coats. Now her unusual purple eyes were staring at the door, her ears straining for a noise, for something. Before there had been screaming. Shouting. Banging. But now everything was silent and she didn't like it but she couldn't leave. Not until Joe came back. That's what he had told her and then she had been shoved into the dark place. The words had been stammered quickly and desperately but she had understood. She always understood Joe. But now Joe had gone, disappeared. He would have come for her, _should_ have, to tell her it was okay and give her a hug. This silence she was now faced with hung over her like a dark cloud, imposing and threatening her every move. She shuffled forward, her heart beating loudly in her chest, so hard she fretted if might leap out and splatter on the ground in front of her. But it didn't and carefully she pressed her ear against the hard wood, listening intently for any kind of sound.

'You found her yet?' A voice sounded from just behind the door.

She flinched back, her eyes wide and confused. That wasn't Joe. Where was he? Why had he left her all alone? He had promised he never would. Promised she would be safe. She pressed back against the wall of the cupboard, her palms flat against the wood as if trying to push her way out. The wall quivered and plaster dropped down into her hair but it stopped as soon as it started and everything fell silent again. She waited with baited breath, as if it was a game of hide and seek.

'Check the cupboard.' The same voice said and then there were footsteps. Heavy, threatening footsteps, heading straight for Mollie's hiding place.

The door swung open, casting a bright light into the dingy cupboard and blinding the girl. A tall silhouette loomed over her and she whimpered, hiding her face in her knees; opting for the 'if I can't see you, you can't see me', effect. It wasn't Joe. Her own brother would have taken her in his arms and comforted her. He wouldn't do this to her, scare her. But the stranger didn't appear to be doing anything; he just stayed there, peering in at her. She opened one eye and looked up at him before gasping and ducking away again.

'Hey there, little girl,' he said, his voice different from the one earlier. 'C'mon out, we won't hurt you, we have cookies and sweets and puppies and rainbows.'

'Shut up, Wade, you're scaring her.' A new voice snapped and Mollie curled up tightly.

'No I'm not, see it's fine! It's you that's scaring it, with your stupid hat.' The man called Wade replied and he crawled further into the cupboard. 'I don't know why you're making me go near it.'

'She's not an it.'

Wade ignored his teammate and grinned widely at Mollie. She looked at him and he looked at her. A walky talky on his belt crackled to life and they both jumped.

_You got her?_

'Aye, aye, captain.' Wade responded cheerfully and reached for Mollie.

He didn't get within an inch of the girl before he was knocked off his feet and thrown into the far wall. His back cracked as it hit a couple of photographs and he dropped to the floor, staring into the cupboard, his jaw hanging open. The owner of the unseen voice gazed at her with obvious disbelief before he glanced over his shoulder and smirked at Wade.

'Guess the first time you get rejected by a girl always hits home the hardest.' He chuckled, his brown eyes sparkling. He turned back to Mollie who had started to shake. 'It's okay, honey, ignore him,' he smiled and held out his hand. 'C'mon, we're not gonna' hurt you.' He winced at his words but the lie went undetected and she shuffled forwards cautiously.

'Where's Joe?' She whispered once they were out of the cupboard.

John glanced at Wade who shrugged his shoulders, discreetly wiping the blood from his blade. 'Joe's…not here right now,' John told her. 'We're taking care of you until he gets back.' Mollie seemed to accept this and slipped her hand into John's, he stiffened but the girl didn't notice. She needed to feel safe, she needed Joe but Joe had gone and immediately all her trust was transferred to this man.

Outside a truck was waiting and John lifted the girl inside it. She sat still as he strapped her into the seat. He was amazed by how cooperative she was, how quiet. He wondered if she knew just how powerful she was and what she could to them within the blink of an eye. It just made him feel guiltier about where they were taking her and what would happen. She was young, younger than any of the others by far but Stryker had been adamant about capturing her, and he hadn't told them the full extent of her power but it was pretty obvious. John closed the door with a click and then hopped into the driver's seat beside Wade.

'Shouldn't we, yknow,' Wade mimed shooting a gun. 'She might turn demon child on us.'

'Wade, she's eight.' John rolled his eyes, turning the truck round a sharp corner and stepping on the gas. The vehicle shot forwards onto the highway.

'So? She attacked me! I'll do it if you're too scared.'

John glanced in the rearview mirror. 'She's asleep now. Just leave her.' He said. He was never one to encourage violence, especially on an eight-year-old girl.

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Norah had managed to get an earlier shift at work so she would be back in time to make Mollie's birthday cake. The wind buffeted her as she fiddled with keys, finally she got the right one in the lock and the door swung open. The woman threw the keys into a bowl on the table and hung her coat up. Shaking her dyed brown hair from its bun she walked into the kitchen, slamming the cupboard door on the way.

'Mollie?' She called, dumping her shopping on the kitchen table. 'Joe? C'mon guys, we're meant to be making a cake.' She rolled her eyes and stood at the bottom of the stairs. 'If you don't come down now I won't let you lick the bowl out.' She called, smiling to herself. A flutter of panic settled in her chest when all she heard was silence but she shoved it aside and with a determined frown, bounded up the stairs.

All of the doors were closed, Mollie's bright pink one that Joe had painted stood out like a sore thumb. Cautiously, Norah approached it and gently turned the doorknob, letting it swing open on it's open. The room was empty. A breath she hadn't realised she had been holding was let loose and she turned to go back downstairs when something caught her eye. The wardrobe door was open a crack and Norah smiled; they were hiding from her. She stood in the middle of the room and turned around dramatically.

'I wonder where Joe and Mollie are.' She said loudly, listening intently for a muffled giggle. 'Maybe, they're under the bed,' she said but instead of going to the bed she tiptoed over to the wardrobe and without hesitation, flung the doors open. 'Found you!' She cried. But what she expected and what she found were two very different stories. For a blood covered body fell from where it had been leaning on the door and landed on top of her.

Norah screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed. She screamed until her throat was sore and all that came out was a hoarse choking sound. She scrambled from the room, shaking and whimpering.

'Joe.' She muttered to herself. 'Joe's dead.' She dived for the phone frantically, dialing the emergency services with shaky fingers.

'Hello, please state your emergency.' The woman answered.

'He's dead…please,' Norah sobbed. 'My boyfriend – he's been killed.'

'Madam, please calm down,' the operator said calmly. 'Where are you now?'

Norah ran her hand through her hair, her eyes darting around wildly. 'Home, I'm at home, please, he's dead.'

'Madam, I need to know your address. Where do you live?' Norah stammered her address out, sinking to the carpet in a fit of sobs. 'You need to calm down,' the operator continued. 'Is there anyone else with you?'

Her eyes flew open. 'Mollie.' She breathed.

'Excuse me?'

'Mollie! A little girl, sh-she's eight. She's gone. Oh my God.' Norah moaned frantically.

'Madam, stay where you are. The police and ambulance services are on their way.'

Norah stayed on the phone until they got there and then she was taken to the police car by two detectives. The house was roped off as a crime scene and Joe's body wheeled away. Norah sat in the back of the car, watching the lights flash by as they drove to the station. Her fingernails had been bitten down to the stubs and her leg jittered up and down nervously. At the station they gave her a cup of coffee before she was directed into a questioning room.

'Why do you need to question me?' She had cried. 'You should be out looking for her! She's a little girl for Christ's sake.'

Detective Davids, a tall somber man with a hairless face had told her to calm down and they were doing everything they could. His partner, Hamilton, was younger and straighter to the point. They sat across the table from her, scrutinizing her with their emotionless faces.

'Right,' Hamilton began. 'How did you find your Mr Nash?'

Norah swallowed, tears brimming her grey eyes. 'He was in – in the wardrobe, in Mollie's room. I thought they were playing but he was…dead.'

'Do you know anyone who would want Mr Nash dead, Norah?' His dark eyes were cold, deadly serious, Norah found it hard to look at them.

'Of course not.' She choked back a sob. 'He was a lovely man, friends with everyone.' It was obvious she was finding it hard to hold herself together. Hamilton had seen it happen many a time. Witnesses breaking down before his eyes.

The young man cleared his throat. 'Norah, is there any reason Mollie would run away from home?'

Norah stared at him and her lips parted. 'What are you saying?' She whispered.

'We need to know everything about her, Miss Hadfield, please, I'm not insinuating anything at this present time.'

'No, Mollie was happy, she was, I swear.' Norah sniffed. 'It was her birthday. We were going to make a cake…' Her voice trailed off.

Hamilton nodded and folded his papers up. 'You can go now, Miss Hadfield, we'll arrange for you to be dropped off at home. Will you be available for questioning tomorrow?'

Norah nodded, wiping her nose with a tissue. 'Yes, please, just find her.'

'We'll get your little girl back, miss.' Davids said and smiled thinly.


	2. And So It Begins

**AN: Hope you like this one. Worked quite hard on it , sorry for the wait (: Oh, and the lyrics are from All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. There might be some lyrics or a quote at the start of a chapter or there might not.**

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'_There must be some kind of way out of here, said the Joker to the Thief.'_

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Mollie had never known her parents. Joe told her they died in a car crash when she was only four and she had automatically been put into care along with her brother. But then Joe had turned eighteen and he was allowed to leave; to go where he liked. Mollie had been almost sure he would leave her and she had cried for weeks in her room. He had come back though and become her legal guardian. From then on it had been her and Joe against the world. He had worked hard to keep up with the rent and the bills of the small flat they lived in. Hard enough to get promoted and buy a proper house for the two of them. He met Norah at a friend's party, when Mollie was six. The little girl hadn't completely understood but she knew what love was. It was something Joe never failed to explain; he needed Mollie to feel loved, to feel wanted.

He was going to buy her a puppy for her birthday and she was going to call it Fudge and play with it every day. Mollie thought of Joe and the puppy as she watched the bright colours of the streets fade away into blackness. The man called Wade had fallen asleep, snoring softly, but John was still awake, a deep frown creasing his forehead. The truck slowed and she glanced out the window. They were going through a security gate, a barrier lifted to let them past and John drove on over the bridge. Mollie shuffled over to the other seat and peered out the window, staring down into the gloomy water below. Her gaze drifted upwards, landing on a dark island. Large concrete buildings and cooling towers dotted it, emerging out of the darkness and looming over them threateningly.

'Is this where Joe is?' She asked quietly, her young face hopeful as she looked up at John.

'Not yet, honey.' John replied and turned the truck round a corner, pulling up outside a huge gloomy building.

Wade's eyes snapped open as if he had been awake all along and he smiled, cracking his neck. 'Home sweet home.' He said brightly, jumping down from the truck.

John cut the engine and the vehicle shuddered to a stop. Mollie quietly watched him as he got out, slamming the door behind him. For a moment she thought he'd forgotten about her as he talked to Wade, but the younger man turned to look at her and smiled; a cold, unfriendly smile. He sauntered to the truck and yanked open the door Mollie had been leaning on. She nearly fell, throwing her arms out with a shriek and catching a hold of Wade's top. He stumbled back, his hands finding her shoulders and pulling her upright. She stayed clinging to him even when her feet touched the ground and he had to pry her fingers from his shirt in surprisingly gentle manner.

'C'mon, shorty.' He said and jerked his head towards the building.

Mollie hesitated and stepped back from the intimidating place, but Wade placed a hand on the small of her back and softly propelled her forwards. It wasn't a particularly welcoming place; the windows thick and dusty, the walls grey and made out of a dull concrete. By this time a thousand thoughts were running through Mollie's head. She had a small inkling in the back of her mind that Joe wasn't here. It was a bad place, something told her, a place she didn't belong. She went along obediently, though, a small flame of hope still burning inside of her that these men were genuine. Ahead of them John swiftly stabbed a code into a keypad beside the metal door and it clicked before swinging open, casting bright light upon them.

'Good evening, Mollie.' A new voice said and the girl turned, looking up at the man like a deer caught in headlights. He was old, older than the others, but he held an air of authority over him and she felt Wade's hand fall from her shoulder as he took a step back. 'Don't be afraid; we're going to help you.' He smiled.

'W-where's Joe?' Mollie whimpered shakily.

He ignored her and continued. 'My name is William Stryker. You'll be looked after here, Mollie,' he put his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. 'Take her.' He nodded at John. 'Wade, come with me.' He turned and walked away down an empty corridor. Wade rolled his eyes and sauntered after him, ruffling Mollie's hair as he passed.

'C'mon,' John muttered, his eyes downcast. He took her arm and pulled her away. His touch was soft but Mollie had known a time when it had been softer.

She tilted her head up at him. 'Why are you sad?'

'What?' John's steps faltered and he raised an eyebrow. 'I'm not sad.'

'Yes you are.' She answered as if it was obvious. 'Even when you smile; it's in your eyes.' She stopped and waited patiently as a burly guard slid open the metal gates to the cells. The guard regarded them quizzically as they passed. She was young, too young, even he knew that but what could he do about? What _would _he do about it? This was his job and he had his own little girl to worry about, not someone else's.

'You would be sad,' John finally answered as he walked her down. 'If you had to do what I do.'

'Why d'ya do it, then?' She countered.

They came to a halt at the end and John swung open the cell door. 'Because I have to.' He told her, jerking his head towards the cell.

Mollie hesitated, the full extent of the situation suddenly hitting her. She looked at him, bright purple eyes wide. 'Joe always told me no one has to do anything they don't want to.'

'I'm sorry, kid.' He said quietly. Without another word, Mollie walked into the cell. She leant against the far wall and slid down it until her bum hit the concrete. John locked the door and he could still feel her eyes on him as he walked away.

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This time Norah was quiet. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a tight bun and she wore no makeup. She had barely managed to pull herself out of bed. Hamilton regarded her warily as he shuffled the papers about the desk; beside him Davids stroked an imaginary beard. Only a day had passed since Mollie had been taken and Joe killed but to Norah it felt like an eternity. She felt no bitterness towards them both, although she had been left alone; alone to cope and alone to live. Joe and Mollie would be hardly missed by anyone except her so she had taken it upon herself to make people remember.

'How are you, Norah?' Hamilton asked with a smile.

'How do you think I am?' She snapped back.

Hamilton sighed. 'I'm sorry, Miss Hadfield, I understand how hard this must be for you. But we need to know more about Mollie if we have any hope of getting her back to you.' Norah nodded. 'So, I'll begin with a simple question. Where are Mollie's parents?'

'They died in a car crash and J-Joe's looked after her ever since.' Her voice cracked. 'I don't see what this has to do with getting Mollie back.'

'It all helps, Norah, every little helps.'

'I just want to have her back. She's so small and helpless.' Norah choked on a soft sob.

To everyone's surprise, including himself, Davids reached over and took her hand. 'It'll be okay, Norah, we will get her back and she will be safe.' His voice was soft in contrast to his tall, lean physique.

'How do you know that?' She whispered. 'How do you know she's not lying in a ditch somewhere?'

'Don't think like that.' Hamilton said.

Norah shook her head, tears brimming her lashes. 'She's all I have – I'm all she has.'

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_Mollie didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay in the park and play with her dolls. Her mother and father had tried everything they could think of to coax her back to the car but they didn't force her, they believed in children making their own decisions. Even Joe had plied her with an ice cream but Mollie was having none of it and had ran off into the small cluster of trees near the lake. It was getting the late, the sun just touching the horizon._

_'Mollie!' She heard her mother shout and she giggled, shuffling further into the bush she had crawled into. They would be mad once they found her but she didn't care, she liked the park._

_The voices were fading away as the mini search party moved on. Mollie frowned and inched forwards onto the path, her doll clutched tightly in her hand. All of a sudden a shadow loomed over her and a grinning face appeared. A hand grabbed her arm and wrenched her small body from the ground. Mollie screamed. This wasn't her father or Joe; this was a great hulk of a man who stank of beer and cigarette smoke. The man's grin got wider, revealing two missing teeth, and he shook her up and down. Tears streamed down her face as she wriggled in his vice like grip._

_'Hello little girly,' he breathed and chuckled._

_'Leave me alone!' Mollie shrieked. 'Mama!' Her small hands smacked at any piece of him she could find. They must have heard her by now, they would be coming to save her, and she knew it. She opened her eyes to see them and then suddenly the man was gone._

_She dropped to the ground with a thud. A loud crack resounded around the woods and she flinched, her eyes searching the darkness for the man. He was on the floor and he wasn't moving. Mollie curled up, sobbing into her arms, clutching her doll close to her chest. She didn't hear them when they finally came, running down the path frantically. She was startled when her father grabbed her shoulder to hug her and she spun round, a scream released from her small lungs. Her father flew off his feet and smacked sideways into a tree, his neck snapping instantly and he fell to the ground dead. Her mother screamed shrilly which set Mollie off like a fire alarm and she stumbled to her feet, wailing like a banshee. Her mother ran to her but Mollie panicked and backed away, throwing out her arms. It was as if an invisible force had been thrown up in front of the girl and her mother stopped, waving her arms in front of Mollie. The force was lifted and the woman was lifted up into the air before smashed down into the ground. She lay still; lifeless. Mollie screamed, her body wracked with sobs._

_'Mollie, stop!' Joe shouted desperately. Without hesitating he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. She fell into him, soaking his shirt with her tears._

_'I'm sorry, Joe,' she whispered. 'I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, Joe.'_

_'It's okay, Mollie, it'll be okay.'_


	3. Panic in the War Room

**AN: Thank you all the reviewers, alerters, favouriters. I love you all! **

**Lyrics: This Ain't Goodbye - Train**

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'_Baby, we were victims of all, all the foolish plans.'_

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Mollie had found a stone. It was small and crumbly but somehow it comforted her; it made this cold, dark place seem more human. She rolled it across the floor from one palm to the other before picking it up and dragging the sharp end across the concrete ground. A thin white line followed along behind it. She tilted her head to one side, a small smile appearing on her face. Soon enough the ground in front of her was covered in all sorts of intricate patterns and she was just adding the finishing touches to a wild looking swirl when a groan from the cell beside her caught her attention. A girl was laid on the floor, white blonde hair fanned out around her head like a halo. Mollie hadn't noticed her before but now the girl was waking up.

'Oh, God.' The girl muttered and sat up, clutching her head to stop the world from spinning.

Mollie sat back against the far wall, purple eyes wide. Of course she had noticed the other children in the cells around her but they were all older than her and none of them paid any attention to her, they were all too busy mulling in their own despair. Some just sat there, staring into space, others sobbed hysterically and the stronger ones would continuously use their powers against the bars. Not that it did any good, the metal was too strong and they; too weak. The girl beside Mollie was now fully awake and leaning back against the wall, tending to a cut on her arm. She hissed as a trickle of blood seeped out and her eyes flickered upwards, away from it, unfortunately landing on the smaller girl. Her lips formed a perfect 'O' shape and she gasped, completely forgetting about her arm.

'Hello?' She said softly.

'Hi.' Mollie croaked back.

The girl looked her up and down worriedly. 'How old are you?' She asked.

'S-seven,' she whispered back, 'it was my birthday yesterday.'

'Bastards.' The girl hissed and her jaw clenched. Her expression softened as she looked back to Mollie. 'It's okay, honey, I won't hurt you. What's your name?'

Mollie seemed to realize that the girl held no real threat to her and she gave her a small smile. 'Mollie.' She answered, shuffling closer to the bars that separated them.

'That's a lovely name,' the girl said and Mollie beamed. She slipped her hand between the bars and took Mollie's gently. 'I'm Emma. Come on, I'll look after you.'

They talked often about anything and everything. About their lives before they had come here. Mollie mostly listened; she had come to look to Emma as an older sister, and someone she could depend on. Sometimes men would come and take Emma away for a while. Mollie didn't like these days; she worried and fretted that her newfound friend wouldn't return. But she always did, always looking tired and down, but she wouldn't tell Mollie where she had been. She would simply smile weakly before going straight to sleep. Those were the lonely times.

Once it was John who brought Emma back. Mollie had been dozing off slightly but being stuck in the same dark place day after day had heightened her senses and as soon as she heard his voice her eyes were open. She scrambled to the edge of the cell, clutching the bars in white knuckled hands. Emma didn't put up a fight as she was gently pushed into the cell and it was locked behind her. John slipped the key into his pocket and walked over to stand in front of Mollie.

'How ya' doing, kid?' He asked and crouched down onto his haunches, smiling softly.

'Stay away from her.' Emma hissed, glaring daggers at him.

He ignored the girl's warning tone and reached into his pocket, rummaging around a bit before retrieving a dusty looking sweet. He cleaned it on his sleeve and passed it between the bars. Mollie took it shyly, smiling timidly up at him. Behind her Emma seethed angrily, the tips of her fingers already coated in sparkling diamonds. John smiled at the little girl and he straightened up, dusting his jeans off. An alarm at the end of the aisle buzzed and he hurried through the gates before they slammed shut. Mollie watched him go with a sort of adoring look upon her thin young face.

'You should stay away from him.' Emma said immediately, her face deadly serious.

'John's my friend,' Mollie protested and held up the sweet so the ruby wrapper sparkled in the dim light. 'See, he gave me a sweetie.'

Emma sighed. 'He's a bad man, Molls, he does bad things. I don't want you to get hurt.'

'He doesn't want to do those things.' The younger girl muttered, placing the sweet on the ground in front of her and gazing down at it as if it were a puppy.

'Mollie, you don't understand!' Emma snapped in frustration and slammed a fist down onto the concrete. 'Soon enough it'll be you getting taken out of here every other day, by him, or by one of the others.' Emma had talked about 'the others' before, but Mollie had never seen anyone else apart from Wade, ever. 'They're bad, they're all bad men, and John's no different.'

Mollie struggled to her feet, glaring fiercely at her neighbour. 'He's my friend!' She cried shrilly and her usually lilac coloured eyes flashed violet as her hands clenched into fists.

All of a sudden Emma let out a long blood-curdling shriek. She fell hard onto the floor, writhing and screaming in obvious pain. But there was nothing touching her. Sweat shone across her forehead and her back arched, a bone cracking painfully. The usual distant murmur of other prisoners talking had stopped as all eyes were on the girl, staring in horror. She was panicking, her skin coating itself in diamonds before returning to normal. Her mind was a mass of confusion and terror and she thrashed helplessly against the bars of her cell. Footsteps came pounding down the aisle. They had been watching. It made no difference though, something dark had taken a hold of the seven year olds mind and she wasn't relenting. Blood dripped from her nose and her eyes seemed to glow angrily. Emma rolled onto her front, gasping and coughing. Dots danced tauntingly in her vision and she choked on her own spit and blood as it bubbled over her lips. She was going to pass out. Keys rattled, a warning sign in the back of Mollie's mind but she ignored it, all her energy focused on Emma. Suddenly a hand slammed over her eyes, forcing her world into darkness. Mollie cried out in shock, her hands instinctively flying up and tugging on the thick wrist. A feral snarl sounded in her ear and she stilled, her tiny chest heaving as fat tears slid down over her cheeks.

'How's the girl?' A voice murmured quietly.

'She'll live.' The chest Mollie was pressed against vibrated.

'Good,' this man's voice was soft and he seemed to carefully select his words. 'Bring her, keep her eyes covered.'

The hand was removed from her eyes for a second. Long enough for Mollie to see Emma lying unconscious on the floor. A black cloth was placed over her eyes and roughly tied at the back, yanking on her dark hair and knotting it together. A hand was placed on her shoulder and she was pushed forwards, her scruffy trainers making no noise on the ground. Mollie didn't struggle; her mind was still reeling from previous activities. The blood had dried on her top lip and was making it itch but she didn't dare reach up. She vaguely wondered if these were 'the others'.

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'…And in other news, Mollie Nash, a seven year old schoolgirl from North York, Pennsylvania, is still missing. She was taken from her home in the late hours of the afternoon on Friday the eighth of October. Her sibling and guardian, Mr Joe Nash, was murdered in the process. Police are encouraging anyone who may know of Mollie's whereabouts or have noted any suspicious activity in that area to come forward as soon as possible. Our thoughts are with Miss Nash's remaining family. We go now to Randy Cliff who is at the scene of the crime…'

Norah flicked the radio off and ran a hand through her hair. She fumbled with a packet of cigarettes and slipped one out, lighting it shakily before breathing in the calming fumes. Joe had always hated her smoking and she had stopped two weeks earlier to make him happy, but he was gone now, so what harm would it possibly do. Plus it calmed her nerves as she waited anxiously everyday by the phone. In the four days that Mollie had been gone she had barely eaten, her cheeks were hollow, skin pale. Her eyes were red rimmed, she spent her nights crying herself to sleep or going for long walks in the early hours of the morning.

The phone rang and she jumped, picking it up in a flash and slamming it against her ear. 'Hello?' She said hopefully.

'Norah?' It was Hamilton.

'Have you found her?' Norah gasped. 'God, please tell me you've found her.'

The man swallowed. 'No, not yet, but how are you holding up? Your boss says you haven't been in for a while.'

The woman's heart sank and she closed her eyes, her lips trembling. 'I-I'm fine, and no, I'm sorry, I'll be back next week.'

'He said take all the time you need-,'

'Why are you ringing me, Mr Hamilton?' She snapped. 'Is it really any of your business? Are you actually _trying _to find Mollie?'

'Miss Hadfield, I assure you we are doing everything in our power to find her. If you would like me to stop calling, I can.'

'No. Please,' her voice cracked. 'It's nice having someone to talk to. Would you like to come round for some coffee?' Norah suddenly felt the need to do something, to have the company of another person. And if that person was Hamilton, then so be it.

'I would love to.'

* * *

Mollie sat on a chair, her legs tucked underneath her and her chin propped up on her arms. She was still blindfolded, they were going to take it off in a minute, she had been told. They were true to their word and the blindfold slipped away, tugging on her hair. It took a while for the smudgy blurs to shift back into shape but when they did she frowned.

'Hello, Mollie,' the man smiled. 'My name is William Stryker.'

'Are you the others?' Mollie whispered, innocent eyes wide.


	4. You're a Freak

**AN: Sorry for the wait. Merry Christmas !**

**Lyrics: Ke$ha – Take It Off**

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'_There's a place downtown, where the freaks all come around.'_

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'_You can't come to my party because you don't have a mom or dad.'_

_Mollie looked up from her picture, wondering if the girl was talking to her. She was._

_The girl looked at her puzzled expression. 'It's fancy dress; who's gonna' buy you a costume?' She shrugged apologetically. Behind her Jacob sneered down at Mollie._

'_It's really 'cos you're a freak.' He laughed and shoved her drawing onto the floor, scattering colouring crayons all over._

_Mollie flinched away, ignoring the pair as they giggled in front of her. She bent over and slowly gathered the pencils together, finally picking up the crumpled picture. It was of her and Joe, she had spent so long on it, but now the green had streaked across the blue, the grass joining the sky, and it was ruined. Suddenly she was pushed and she fell from her crouching position on the floor, falling straight onto her face. Laughter sounded all around her and it stung like knives. The two moved away and the crowd that had gathered, followed, all of them whispering and jeering. Blinking back tears she got up and stared across at Jacob, her eyes narrowing. _

'_Ow!' He shouted and jumped forwards. 'Someone hit me!' _

'_Jacob, what's wrong?' Their teacher asked worriedly._

_The boy pointed an accusing finger at Mollie. 'She just hit me!' He cried._

'_Don't be silly, Jacob,' the woman scolded. 'Mollie's been stood there the all time, she couldn't possibly have hit you.'_

'_Freak.'_

_

* * *

_

'Do you know what you are, Mollie?' Stryker asked the girl.

Mollie didn't answer. She was staring at Victor with a perplexed look upon her young features. He had fixed his cold, bored, gaze upon her and if you didn't know any better you would of thought the two were having a staring competition. He smirked, lifiting one side of his mouth and revealing a sharp fang. Mollie instantly turned back to look at Stryker. The man raised his eyebrows.

'N-no, sir.' She replied, nervously shifting on the chair.

'You're a mutant, and mutants need to be controlled until they realize their _real _potential on earth,' he folded his hands on the desk in between them. 'Do you know what control means, Mollie?' She glanced at him, unsure. 'When you're older you'll understand that what we're doing is good for you, we're going to fix you.'

Mollie chewed on her bottom lip. 'What's a mut…mutan-,'

'Mutant.' Victor growled from beside her. She nodded furiously.

Stryker smiled thinly. 'You have a special power. You can do things that other people can't. But sometimes you will lose _control._ I'm going to help you.' He nodded and Mollie smiled slightly, wringing her hands in her lap. He eyed her cautiously. 'Do you know what you did to Emma?'

Mollie visibly tensed. 'I didn't mean to,' she blurted out, clutching the sides of the chair, 'she was being mean but, I didn't mean to hurt her, I'm sorry-,'

'Oh, but Mollie, you _did_ mean to.' Stryker said excitedly, leaning over his desk. 'She made you angry, she said things that hurt you; you were simply defending yourself.'

'But she's my friend.'

'If she was truly your friend, she wouldn't have triggered your power.' It was a pure lie. Only Mollie's emotions could control her power and friendship had nothing to do with it. But how was the girl to know that?

The manipulation was sinking into her young mind and she seemed to be complying to the man's reasoning. That was until the door to the office burst open and Wade sauntered in, a wide grin on his face. Mollie almost jumped straight off of her chair and she only just managed to right herself. She remembered him, remembered his sparkling brown eyes; he was the one who took her away from Joe. He seemed much more relaxed than he was that night, he only had one of his twin swords and he jumped up onto a filing cabinet, tapping it gently against the metal. Stryker ignored him, searching through some papers on his desk; it seemed he had forgotten about Mollie for the moment. A strange feeling passed over her like a dark cloud, her whole being was focused on Wade as she remembered the night they had taken her from all she had known. Her hands tightened around the arm of the chair and she glared up at him, her eyes flashing dark. Wade flinched as if someone had hit him and he frowned in confusion. He glanced down at the little girl, his head tilted to the side slightly.

'What the-,' he muttered, sword ready as if to fight some unseen enemy.

But in seconds Victor was there, dragging the seven year old from her chair by her hair. Her concentration waned and she shrieked as his sharp nails dug into her scalp, her hands clawing his wrist. He pinned her to the floor, snarling into her face. As much as he liked seeing his victim's frightened expressions before he tore them apart, he turned Mollie's head away from him, her eyes forced to stare at the blank wall. Before she could do any more harm, the blindfold was back on and she was plunged into darkness.

'I'm afraid you're power doesn't work without your sight,' she heard Stryker say. He didn't sound sorry about it at all, 'you need to learn to be obedient, Mollie.' She struggled underneath Victor, her fragile frame shaking violently. Stryker looked at Victor. 'Take her upstairs.'

'Such a cute little killing machine.' Wade commented, the smirk evident through his voice.

'Haven't you got work to be doing, Wade?' Stryker snapped.

'Nope.'

'Then find some.'

'I wouldn't want to miss the show.' He chuckled but one glare from Stryker easily shut him up and he jumped down from the cabinet, sighing dramatically as he sauntered out of the room. 'Good luck, small person.' He called as he disappeared.

Stryker sighed. 'I'll see you later, Mollie.' He said and she was pushed from the room, Victor's nails digging into her shoulder.

* * *

'Sir, I think we have a lead on the kidnapping case.'

Hamilton glanced up from his paperwork, his smooth forehead creased and he nodded at the young officer to continue. The man, no more than a boy, nodded excitedly and smoothed out his tie. He read from a piece of paper that almost shook in his hand.

'Mollie Nash was seen getting into a black range rover on the day she was reported missing-,'

'Plates?' Hamilton interrupted.

The man swallowed. 'Unfortunately, no, but we do have a description of one of the men. Around six foot, black, muscular build, wearing a yellow jacket and yellow Stetson, both of similar material, and dark sunglasses.'

Hamilton nodded, consuming this newfound information. 'Get Julie to run a scan on the description; criminals, suspects, anyone. Ask around the area. I need you to look for the car, go through reports of stolen cars and the like. Don't let me down, officer.'

'Yes, sir.' The man's chest puffed out and he nodded firmly. He seemed to be trying not to salute the senior officer. He hurried away and Hamilton flipped open his mobile phone, flicking through his contacts.

She picked up after three rings. 'Norah?'

'You're not calling to cancel are you?' She joked. He sighed and her voice dropped. 'Oh, you are.'

'I'm sorry, but something's come up, we have new leads on the case and I need to stay at the office.'

'Mollie? You know where she is?'

'Not exactly, but we're getting there.' He didn't want to give the woman false hope.

Norah laughed in a strained kind of way. 'Then by all means, do what you have to do.' She said.

'Thank you, I'll keep you posted.'

* * *

Mollie yawned. She stared blankly at the man before and he smiled. It was a weary smile; one that indicated his patience was wearing thin. He had been sat across from the girl for two long hours now, trying but failing to get a reaction from her. She had just sat and stared at him, every now and then she would say something in response to a question but otherwise she stayed silent. They were sat in a white room, white walls, white floor, and cold steel furniture. On one side was a tinted window that looked completely black but behind it sat Stryker, his eyes darting impatiently between the pair. He pressed a button on the table before him.

'Try the photograph.' He snapped.

The man nodded hurriedly and pushed his glasses up his nose. His movements became jerkier as he picked up a pile of papers from the table that separated him and Mollie.

'Sir,' Victor growled. 'I won't be able to get in there in time.'

Stryker waved him away. 'There's plenty more where Jackson came from.' He muttered.

In the room, something had changed in Mollie. She had sat up straighter, her body frigid in the chair and her whole being focused on the card in the man's hand.

'Do you know who this is, Mollie?' Jackson asked and a bead of sweat formed on his brow. He knew the risk.

'It's mommy.' She whispered.

Jackson nodded. 'What happened to mommy, Mollie?'

'She went, she died, in a car, with daddy.' The little girl's voice became strained.

'Are you sure, Mollie? Is that what really happened?'

Her fists clenched in the handcuffs and Jackson flinched. 'That's what Joe said and Joe – Joe knows.'

'Didn't your mommy ever tell you it's bad to lie, Mollie?'

Her tiny chest was heaving, tears springing to her eyes. 'Joe knows!' She cried, her voice rising in pitch. 'Joe tells the truth!' She stared the man dead in the eyes and his head snapped back.

He cried out in shock and looked desperately at the window. 'Stop it now!' He shouted.

Victor moved forward but Stryker held up his hand. 'A couple more minutes.' He hissed.

Jackson was out of his chair now and banging his fist against the door to the room. Mollie was still, her dull stare focused on him. He screamed in pain and his head slammed into the wall, blood dripping from his forehead. 'Joe knows the truth!' Mollie shrieked and Jackson suddenly flew backwards across the room, slamming into the black window. It cracked and so did the man's spine, paralyzing him instantly. Blood splattered across the window and he was turned onto his front; Stryker found himself face to face with the dying man. Jackson opened his mouth to speak, to scream, but blood frothed from the gaping hole and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He dropped to the ground. Mollie was still. A thin line of blood slithered from her nose and onto her top lip.

'Take her back to the cells.' Stryker whispered.

'What about the older girl?' Victor said.

'If she knows what's good for her she'll keep her mouth shut.' He remarked. He smiled.


End file.
